This afternoon at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Bridgeport, CT, University of Connecticut freshman Michael Dolan, from Holy Trinity Orthodox Church, Willimantic, received a $1,000 scholarship from the Fellowship of Orthodox Churches of Connecticut (FORCC). Michael had previously been chosen as a scholarship recipient winner in June.
 
FORCC has been extending scholarships to students from Orthodox churches in Connecticut since its founding in 1993. In becomming the first ever student from Holy Trinity to receive a FORCC scholarship, Michael was only one of two students to receive the prestigious Smerznak, Medak & Kidwell Scolarship ($1,000). Four other Orthodox students received $500 scholarships. Michael also owns the distinction of being the only male student to receive a 2012 FORCC scholarship.
 
Michael received his scholarship at the conclusion of the Nineteenth Annual Benefit Banquet, which featured an impassioned presentation by Keynote Speaker Jennifer Nahas, current Executive Director of the National Orthodox Christian Fellowship. Mrs Hahas offered that a caring local church community can often be the difference between a student remaining connected to the Orthodox faith, even at the end of the four undergraduate years, or straying away for the rest of their life. Current UConn OCF students Natasha Leva and Eddie Ryan were also in attendance at the banquet.
 
The FORCC award was one of six scholarships Michael received. Others included the a) UConn Leadership Scholar Award which covers half the cost of Michael's UConn tuition; b) the +Matthew Hurlock Memorial Scholarship Award which was named after Michael's former basketball coach at Coventry High School who passed away at age 39 from cancer; c) the Coventry Youth Baseball Scholarship, d) the Public Health & Nursing Scholarship and e) a four-year scholarship offered by his own Holy Trinity Church from the +Fr Ilja Adamov Memoral Scholarship Fund.
 
Michael is the Honors Program at UConn. He is studying Biomedical Engineering and with God's guidance, would like to be an orthodpedic surgeon one day.
 
Well done, Michael. The entire Holy Trinity Church community, along with your family, are proud and thankful to God for you.